As everyone anticipated, the Dallas Mavericks will start the upcoming season without Kyrie Irving. On March 3, Irving tore his ACL in his left knee, and a few weeks later, he had surgery to fix it. Fans therefore anticipated that his recuperation would take about ten months. That may not be the case, though, as Irving’s most recent update raises questions. Regarding his return, there is no correct response.
Dallas signed D’Angelo Russell for this reason. Russell’s rapid style of play and seasoned experience made him look like the ideal choice for the team’s dire need for a guard to lead the offense. Dante Exum was then brought back by Dallas to bolster their backcourt even further. But there’s only one issue. They should have traded for another elite guard instead of relying just on Russell and Exum, and neither player will be sufficient to compensate for Irving’s absence.
Irving is a nine-time NBA All-Star and the 2016 NBA Champion. He contributed significantly to the Mavs’ run to the NBA Finals in 2024. Additionally, he was having one of his greatest seasons prior to the accident. Irving shot 40.1 percent from three-point range and was selected to the 2025 All-Star squad. He will obviously be much missed in the forthcoming season. Starting on opening day, his leadership and skill set would have been an ideal match for Cooper Flagg.
This offseason, the Mavericks ought to have acquired another guard.
However, the Mavs will have to compensate for Irving’s absence with their offseason signings.
The Mavs remained silent when players like Jrue Holiday, Collin Sexton, and Lonzo Ball were traded to other teams despite Dallas being included in trade speculations. Depending on the assets they were prepared to part with, the Mavericks would have been in a terrific position to acquire any of these players, and they ought to have had much greater goals in mind when looking for Irving’s replacement.
As previously stated, Dallas signed Ryan Nembhard to a two-way contract and locked down Russell and Exum. Russell, however, is expected to start since he possesses all the necessary intangibles to take the lead. He is a seasoned scorer who doesn’t hesitate to use a range of offensive strategies to establish himself. Throughout his career, he has shot 42.7 percent and scored 17.3 points a game. Russell scored double digits in the majority of his games and averaged 14.9 points per game during his greatest period of the previous season, which occurred in January.
The issue is that Russell’s playing style is erratic. For instance, Russell recorded a double-double with 18 points and 11 assists in his second-to-last game of the season. But he had a lot of trouble in the next game. He missed all four of his 3-point attempts and finished 0–6 from the field. He also struggles in the playoffs especially on defense. Russell occasionally plays defense with little effort. Because they never know which Russell they will get, they are forced to have less faith in him.
Russell’s cold streaks are linked to his playoff struggles because he struggles to establish a rhythm and contribute to the game in ways other than scoring. For this reason, the Mavs should have acquired a guard this summer instead of depending only on Russell and Exum. They obviously need more playmaking, and Dallas made a risk by relying only on Russell and Exum.
This is what sets Russell apart from Irving. Russell’s lack of consistency against the Denver Nuggets two years ago was a major factor. After scoring 23 points in Game 2, he missed all seven of his shots in Game 3 and failed to score. Conversely, Irving does well throughout the postseason. He contributed to Luka Doncic leading the Mavs to the championship game. In the Western Conference Finals two years ago, Irving averaged 27 points per game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Additionally, Irving’s defense is superior to Russell’s. He knows how to get to the correct defensive position and does a fantastic job of anticipating the scorer’s next move.
Nembhard and Exum are also lacking in Irving’s flair. Exum can go hot at the proper moment and is an excellent role player. The issue is his injury history and trusting him in crucial situations. Exum participated in 55 games the previous season and 20 games this past season. Dallas is therefore uncertain about Exum’s availability for the remainder of the season.
Another story is Ryan Nembhard. He signs a two-way contract with the team. Nembhard has a lot of room for improvement as he is still a rookie. Therefore, he wasn’t signed to replace Irving but rather for the future, with the hope that he would grow. Additionally, because he is a two-way player, it is unknown how much time he will play.
Dallas might be in a difficult situation because the only guards they have acquired are Russell, Exum, and Nembhard. Irving recently appeared on a Twitch stream and said he didn’t have a set comeback date. Nico Harrison’s two- to three-year championship run is hampered by this. If they realize his vision, the Mavs will still have a long way to go.
Teams in the Western Conference have an abundance of guards. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the current MVP, Steph Curry, Anthony Edwards, Ja Morant, and so on are just a few examples. To fight it out, Dallas will require a guard that is steady and strong. They should have traded for someone instead of making the existing bunch of guards hold it down on their own because they have that in Irving; it’s just questionable if the rest of the pack can compete at a high level.
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